New hours of service rule takes effect in just two weeks — Here’s a primer on what’s changing

The U.S. DOT’s overhauled hours of service rule, which is meant to provide drivers and fleets with greater flexibility in their on- and off-duty cycles, takes effect in just two weeks — on Sept. 29.

That’s the date that drivers can start operating under the revised regs. If you’ve been too busy to grapple with what changes the new HOS rule brings, or you need a refresher, check out the links to CCJ stories here and a video produced by CCJ sister site Overdrive exploring the finer points of using the split-sleeper berth options within the regs.

Though the new flexibility options are available within the revised rule, there’s nothing new fleets or drivers will need to do to comply – abiding by the current hours of service regulations regarding the 14-hour rule and the 30-minute break, as well as the adverse driving conditions exception and the short-haul exemption, will still be perfectly compliant.